Sen. Tillis Regrets Confirming Hegseth as Defense Secretary
Left 67%
Center 33%
Right 0%
2 left · 1 center · 0 right
What happened
Retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said in television interviews that he regrets voting to confirm Pete Hegseth as U.S. secretary of defense, describing Hegseth as performing poorly as an executive and as "just out of his depth." Tillis, who had wavered under pressure before voting yes on confirmation, made the comments on Bloomberg's "Balance of Power," in CBS News interviews including an extended 60 Minutes conversation with Ross Douthat, and in his book "How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents." He also said some people in President Donald Trump's inner circle are "sycophants" and that Republican candidates should not be afraid to separate from Trump on certain issues ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Separately, Tillis, co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, condemned a report that two consultants to Trump received a large profit from advising Republika Srpska, which he called a "destabilizing force," during the U.S. midterm elections cycle.
Sourcing check · Fully on the record · 3 articles
2 of 2 articles cite a named source for the story. It was on the record from the first report.
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- How it developed
- When the first report landed and whether it named anyone; when the first named source and the first document appeared. Here: First report Oct 7, 21:41 UTC by Bloomberg, naming its source.
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ONE-SIDED THIS WEEK.
Only left-leaning outlets have covered this story in the last two days;
Washington Examiner reported it on 2026-10-05.
Omitted — what each side leaves out
Unpacked
Right-leaning coverage has not reported a Republican senator's public break with President Trump's circle, so those readers never see the story. Left-leaning coverage reports that Tillis regrets confirming Pete Hegseth and says Hegseth is performing poorly as an executive. It also reports that Tillis condemned Trump advisers who took a large profit for work with a Russia-aligned government in the Balkans. Right-leaning outlets had not covered this as of publication. A reader on the silent side therefore misses Tillis telling Republican candidates they "shouldn't be afraid to separate" from Trump on some issues.
Left-leaning coverage does not agree which criticism is the news. Midterms and Hegseth regret lead in Bloomberg, while the Bosnia consulting work leads in The Hill. That emphasis gap leaves a Bloomberg reader without Tillis calling Republika Srpska a "destabilizing force."
Has the White House answered Tillis on Hegseth's performance or on the consultants' work in the Balkans?
Bottom line
Tillis's Hegseth regret is in Bloomberg and his Balkans attack is in The Hill. Right-leaning coverage has neither.
The receipts — 4 facts one side's coverage lacks
- Two consultants to President Trump received a large profit from advising a pro-Russian government in the Balkans during the U.S. midterm elections cycle.
- Tillis is retiring.
- Tillis serves as co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group.
- Tillis was under intense pressure to confirm Hegseth, wavered, and ultimately voted yes.
The Left View
Outlets covering the story present Tillis as a Republican publicly breaking with Trump-world. Bloomberg reported that he said GOP candidates should not fear separating from Trump on some issues, that confirming Hegseth is among his biggest regrets, and that Hegseth is performing poorly as an executive. The Hill focused on Tillis condemning a report that two Trump consultants profited from work advising a Russia-aligned Balkan government, Republika Srpska, during the midterm cycle, and noted his NATO Observer Group role. CBS News reported the same Hegseth regret, his description of some Trump inner-circle figures as "sycophants," discussion of the midterms and 2028, and his statement that the confirmation vote has not aged well.
Our Take (balanced)
The story is substantively grounded in on-the-record remarks by a named senator in identified interviews and a published book; that Tillis said these things is established. His assessments that Hegseth is a poor executive and "out of his depth," and that some Trump advisers are "sycophants," are his opinions, not independently verified findings. The Balkans element is thinner in the coverage provided: Tillis condemned "a report" that two unnamed Trump consultants profited from advising Republika Srpska; those payments and identities are not documented here and remain alleged. No right-leaning outlet has reported this. Watch for the consultants to be named and for contracts or disclosures; for responses from Hegseth, the White House, or the consultants; and for records that go beyond Tillis's interviews.
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